🚀 ICYMI – Quantum computing breakthroughs Microsoft, Google, and Xanadu are pushing the boundaries of practical quantum computing, each hitting key milestones that signal real progress. 🔹 Last week, Microsoft announced a major step toward scalable quantum computing — the development of a topological qubit, a novel phase of matter that could unlock new problem-solving capabilities in science, medicine, AI, and beyond. 🔹 In January, Xanadu unveiled Aurora, the first scalable, networked, modular quantum computer. Featuring four photonically interconnected server racks, Aurora marks a leap toward fault-tolerant quantum computing. CEO Christian Weedbrook called Aurora the first system to integrate all subsystems for universal quantum computing in a photonic architecture. 🔹 Late last year, Google introduced the Willow quantum chip, which performed a computation in under five minutes — a task that would take a classical supercomputer 1,025 years to complete. So are we at quantum advantage? Not yet. But according to Partner David Cowan, we are getting closer. From the Atlas archives (circa 2020), David shared his 101 primer on the race to quantum advantage, which still holds — linked below. ⤵️ 💻 The 101 on quantum advantage — Quantum computing (QC) is poised to be one of the most transformative technological breakthroughs of the 21st century. — By harnessing the unique properties of quantum mechanics, QC has the potential to solve problems in fields such as drug development, materials science, cryptography, and AI that are currently intractable for classical computers. — The race for quantum advantage is more than an academic pursuit—whichever institutions succeed first will redefine industries, gain national security advantages, and capture immense economic value. — Major players in this race include IBM, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and quantum startups like Xanadu, with cloud-based quantum services already emerging as an early commercialization pathway. 💻 What’s next? — In the next decade, the winners in QC will be those who can scale their systems while minimizing errors, likely through hybrid quantum-classical architectures. — By the 2030s, advancements in quantum computing could significantly impact AI, climate modeling, and cybersecurity, though error-free, large-scale quantum systems remain a long-term challenge. — The first company or country to achieve reliable quantum advantage will define the future of computing—just as the semiconductor revolution shaped modern technology. Subscribe to our newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gxbMVvQv Recommended reading in the comments below. ⤵️
What other quantum algorithms with exponential speed-up are there nowadays other than Shor’s algorithm or equivalently the quantum Fourier transform? Is the quantum Fourier transform so ubiquitous to solve problems in drug development, material science, climate modeling, and human cognition? Also interesting that cryptography is on the list… A rather bold statement! Isn’t it? If anyone knows of any other Q-algorithm please let me know.
Very informative
Reading list: — The race to quantum advantage: https://www.bvp.com/atlas/the-race-to-quantum-advantage — State of Deep Tech: https://www.bvp.com/atlas/state-of-deep-tech — Xanadu on the future of quantum computing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdA7qcRVi-A — New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/19/technology/microsoft-quantum-computing-topological-qubit.html